18 The Bulletin. 



years are due, in part, at least, to earlier planting, which gave about 

 one month's longer growing period, and to the favorable rainfall, 

 which was just about normal. In 1905 and 190C the seasons were 

 wet, while in 1907 there was only about one-half the normal rainfall 

 in July and August. This would account for the very low yields in 

 that year. 1908 was an excessively wet year. 



THE RESULTS. 



An examination of the yields on the plats in Field C will show 

 that there was a decrease in yields for each of the four years. This 

 is due, in part, to weather conditions and time of planting already 

 referred to. In 1904 the pea crop had the land throughout the 

 entire growing season and without the draft of a previous crop on 

 the available plant food in the soil. After 1904 a grain crop pre- 

 ceded the pea crop, a crop of each being produced each year. It 

 may be possible that the land was tired of peas, or that it was 

 "pea-sick," as is now and then spoken of in connection with other 

 crops. The inference that such was the case would be very strong 

 were it not for the other conditions influencing the yields, which 

 have already been referred to, and which must be considered. The 

 results which will follow in the next few years will be interesting 

 in this connection. That the land is really in better condition for 

 growing other crops is shown by the yields of cotton and corn on 

 these plats, they having been in cotton in 1908 and corn 1909. The 

 results of these two crops on plats having the same fertilization 

 show greater increases over unfertilized plats than were obtained 

 on the plats where corn and cotton have been grown in rotation 

 with each other, and where the type of soil is the same. 



The experiments were planned to cover the culture and fertiliza- 

 tion of the cowpea as a whole, but the results of the several sub- 

 divisions of phases of the subject are grouped in short tables to 

 facilitate examination and the drawing of conclusions, after which 

 they will be considered as a whole and general conclusions drawn 

 for the fertilization of the crop on this type of soil. 



